Akesson PhotoBlog

Now it isn’t very often that I get to take pics of Heather these days. Mostly when we go out for coffee it’s a “no camera” zone,…. that is she wants my attention not my focus and exposure … if you get my drift!

Well last week I got to take a few pics - I’ve been using Nikon digitals for a few years and recently have been loaned a Canon 30D. Well I needed to keep testing it - didn’t I. Tell you what, the 30D is certainly much faster/easier in focus than my current Nikons. But then it’s newer technology too.

And today we when we went for a coffee we went out with the intent of checking out the wireless flash equipment. Now I know I could have done that at home with a stuffed toy or an empty box, but it’s heaps more fun doing it with a real person at the end of the lens.

Thing is I need to give good consideration, at the moment, as to whether I stick with Nikon and buy one of the brand spanking new fantabulous D300 units or do I take the plunge and go over to the DARK SIDE and buy a Canon 40D or even a 5D full frame. It’s an expensive shift. I can get two 40D’s for the price of one D300. Now I know that the D300 is 5 times better than the 40D but will the end results be that much better? That’s a good question. And the price of camera’s suggests get it right before buying.

So here’s one more from last week. We were sitting having coffee outside the London Court Cafe in central Perth. Heaps of fabulous light being reflected from the old bricks and cream painted walls.

Went shopping in the city of Perth with Heather this morning. Wanted to take a few photos to celebrate her birthday [which was on 26th Feb]. Another amazing early autumn day. We must be the most blessed people in the world to live in this city!

Then lo and behold,… she goes strolling off with this rather tall gentleman in a dark brown suit. Managed to get a photo of her as evidence. As you can see she’s step for step with him. Heading right into St Martins Square. What can one do except post a photo

For those that missed it, these 5 ‘gentlemen’ were set in place in 2004 to celebrate Perth’s 175th foundation anniversary.

Couple of Saturdays ago I shot a Pre-Wedding shoot.  That day we had a little 1 year old along with the cute name of Secoyah.  Now she has got a great personality shining through.  She took in everything and I even think she knew what was happening with the cameras and photography! Fascinating sense of humour too.  Such  placid little angel.  So tonight we have a collage and a couple of others.

Check out the bottom lip - she is going to have one fabulous pout.  You can bet that will come in handy in about 12 years time … or before.

Ok and here’s a collage with her practicing walking with Dad.

Saturday I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours helping a relatively new photographer get the best out of Adobe Lightroom.  So she comes along with hubby and bubby - a six month old little angel that you have seen in a previous post.

Now you probably will find this hard to believe but Nils has only been taking photos for a fairly short time.  Not long before she went on Maternity Leave she got hold of a Canon slr and started shooting.  Well take a look at these pics.  None of them are mine.  All I did was convert them to black and white and put them onto a template.  All the rest is her work.

She also showed some of the pics she had been taking of a young mothers group she goes to and they are great.  This girl’s got talent,…. a natural eye for composition.  She’s not afraid to just have a go. Oh yeah she’ll make the odd mistake but make no mistake on this,… she is learning really quick from the ones that don’t work and even quicker from the ones that go WOW!   I will keep you posted on her progress.

Her family is going to get great photos and so are the people who become her clientèle! So what do you reckon?

Today marks a significant milestone in the life of some great friends of ours. 10 or 12 years ago they played a big part in helping me to keep a right perspective during a difficult period when pastoring a local church. So to celebrate Heather and I went out with them to a fabulous lunch at the Trigg Island cafe. Beautiful day with an early sea breeze and the blue green ocean waves gently rolling in. Is it any wonder why Perth is one of the magical cities in the world to live!

Of course to record the day a pic of Carol & Brian with ocean breeze cooling us down.

And a quick portrait at home for posterity and future generations!

Promised some different pics of the handsome lil baby boy - here they are in classic BW tones. At this age everything they do is a new adventure for the new parents. Even dads sigh when bubs sleeping, and sigh contentedly when they waken - as if it were some miracle taking place.  And mum’s cry when their precious baby looks as if he’s smiling.  All designed to deepen a parents love for their child. [maybe to prepare them for when their precious bundle changes a tad 13 or 14 years later Nonetheless the more one connects at these early stages the greater the love and connection. And that’s the way it is in so much of life. Parenting can be so fascinating.

It’s time.  And this is loooooong overdue.  Boaz has arrived.  He’s beautiful,…. we can say that about a boy when he’s this young. That’s why the little swirls around the pics. He’s a baby for goodness sake.  Just 4 weeks old in these pics.
But let me tell you this.  Even though he is tiny now; even though his feet are about the size of dad’s big toe,…. you just wait till he grows.  He is going to be a very big boy!

OK. Two pics.  One has him sleeping.  All the photos plumb tuckered him out.  And the second is a collage of Boaz with his mum and dad.

We got heps of really great pics of him. Maybe in a day or two a couple of him in Black and White.

I gotta tell you. And it might come as a surprise to some.  But 5 kids and 14 grandkids have just got to start somewhere.  Don’t go looking under rocks or cabbage patches.  No point blaming someone else.  The  Harold Holt government of 41 years ago wasn’t the cause.  It was these two.

And I’ve got to tell you they were really keen to help ensure the long photoshoot ran smoothly.  Why?  Because they love their kids & Grandkids and they know what memories are made of.   Great isn’t it!

During her family photoshoot I got really close for this and told her not to smile. Then tonight after putting the families proofs up on their gallery I decided to work on this,… cooling down the temperature and pushing out the skin tones to a very pale. Then put some brushes to work for the foliage and dandelions etc. Just enough to get the imagination flowing.

I’ve been working at this for a few months now. Whether it looks great or not depends very much on how creative the brain is when I start. I reckon I maybe should ask the child herself to let her mind imagine things in the park. Then I could add that sort of brushwork to the pic as she has seen it.

Nonetheless it is all in the eye of the beholder. Will her mum like it???? Who knows at this stage. I’ll find out eventually. Hope she does. I think it would look great as a 16×24inch canvas on her bedroom wall.

Another of the couples - this pair have a gorgeous little boy who is close to a year old;… just before he gets that total independence from being able to walk. They make an absolutely delightful couple. And for good measure it turned out that it was her birthday. So happy birthday and I was really pleased to have taken her birthday photos for her.